Improved head-rest for railroad-car seats



i, UNITED STATES APATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM R. PHELPS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

HVIPRQVED HEAD-REST FOR RAlLRoAD-CAR SEATS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 48,586, dated July 4, 1865. Y

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. PHELPs, of the city, county, and State of NewYork, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Head RestsforGar-Seats; andldo hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to malte and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,

i forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a view showing the rest attached g to a seat 5 Fig. 2, a view ofthe rear side ofthe rest When detached therefrom.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

I n the frequent or occasional traveling from place to place, and especially long distances, by railroad-cars it is often quite a relief and comfort to recline the head against some suitable rest adapted for the purpose, and the Want -of such a device has long been felt, and more especially one which could be easily attached to or detached from the seat at pleasure, and

vany desired materials and of aform best adapted to the comfort and ease of the person, to and firmly fastening the same thereon a light but sufficiently strong frame, made of steel or any other suitable material, which frame is attached to another frame made of similar metal or material in sucha manner as to be easily moved Within and upon the same, so as to be adjusted at pleasure to any desired position Wlth regard thereto, the latter frame being so arranged or constructed as to be easily attached to or detached from the car-seatwhen desired. Thus it is apparent from the above that by the general manner in which the head-rest is constructed and arranged it is susceptible of easy adjustment to suit the many variations in the height of persons, as Well as also portable.

a a represent a cushion or restingsurface for the head, made of any desired materials adapt ed for such a purpose, which cushion is attached in any proper manner by screws,rivets, or other similar devices to one end of a short frame, b b, made of steel or other light, flexible, and sufficiently strong material. The frame b b consists of two parallel bars or rods, @and d,on the end f of each of which is secured by rivets a clasp or band, g, passing loosely over and around one of two other parallel bars of metal or other suitable material, h and l, with edge to edge, of another frame, m, having at one end a tlat cross-har, n. tThe other end, o, is bent over in the shape represented in Fig; 1, and has a cross roller or bar, p, attached thereto in any proper manner. Upon each of the tWmo bars h, and l of the frame m, and fastened' thereto by rivets or by any other suitable means, is another clasp, q q, passing loosely around the 'bars o and d of the rest-frame b, and iu which clasps, and upon the rods 71. and l of frame m, the frame to which the head-rest is attached moves, and is guided thereby and kept in proper position.

When the headrest is to be used its frame m is put over the top edge of the car-seat and moved down upon its back'cushion, the upper or bent end thereof being sprung over and upon the same, coming to a bearing by its crossbar against the rear side of the back, Where it is securely held bythe strength of the spring given to the frame in bending it over, as described. The head-rest` frame is then moved along upon the frame thus fixed, as it were, to the seat, as described, and raised to any height,

accordingto the desire of the person who is to use it, and the cushion thereof brought to the proper position for the reclining of the head against the same, as seen in Fig. 1.

There are various forms and sizes in which my head-rest may be made other than that herein described and represented in the drawings, as well as also different modes of attaching the head-rest or the adjustable frame to the fixed frame, and therefore Ido not intend v to limit myself to any particular form, size, ma-

terial, or mode of connecting thetwo framesl together.

"It will be seen from the above description that not only doesmy improved head-rest embrace all desired, so far as regards portability,

but that also from its peculiar construction and arrangement an easy, light,"and elastic ing of a movable and adjustable head-rest rest is provided for the head, the great advanframe,in combination with aframe susceptible tage of which is apparent; and, furthermore, of being attached t0 or removed from the seat that, although I have described it as particuat pleasure, arranged and operating together lar-ly applied to car-seats, it can be readily substantially as specified.

adapted to any chair or other article of furnin, ture used by persons when sittingor reclining. WILLIAM R PHELPD' I clam- Witnesses: The improved head-rest herein described, to ALBERT W. BROWN, be attached to car-seats,&c.,the same consist- MfM. LIVINGSTON. 

